Christmas Eve – Somerset Highways Update, After the Storm

Good morning all, first update of Christmas Eve after a very windy and wet night across Somerset.

Summary:

Power – Yeovil, Crewkerne and Taunton hit with currently around 700 homes affected.

Roads – many minor roads have problems and will be cleared during the day. Some A roads impassable including the A357 at Horsington, A358 at Donyatt and roads around Yeovil, Ilchester and Ilminster particularly bad.

Trains – check before you travel, high speed trains not running til 10am, no trains before 9am on most lines. Two trains stuck in Taunton overnight, passengers put up in hotels.

Mendip
Flooding 22 – signed
Fallen Trees 14 – all cleared apart from the tree on the B3134 Bruton to Evercreech that has brought down an electric cable (WPD to attend) site made safe
Wall collapse Stoke Hill Stoke St Michael – Made safe

Taunton Deane
Flooding 15 – River at Bradford on Tone has burst its banks and the road is still closed, New Road North Curry Closed, A378 Wrantage Closed
Fallen Trees 5 – completed

Please note that there is a considerable amount of surface water on the majority of the A & B roads (passable with care)
Roads to pay particular attention to are –
A358 Williton – Taunton
A358 Taunton – Ilminster – Police in attendance
A3088 – Cartgate Roundabout to Yeovil
A30 Chard to Yeovil
Marston Magna to Yeovil

Any other trees that come down in the Mendip / South areas will be made safe to allow the contractors to take a break before starting again in the morning at first light.

I’m sure we would all thank our highways teams, contractors and especially colleagues in Skanska who continue to work throughout the night to clear and sign as many roads as possible.

That makes it a total of around 400 incidents during the day and overnight.

Further updates if needed during the day, travel safely – and drive only if necessary.